NEW ZEALAND ON ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR POLIO

UNCLAS WELLINGTON 000992 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/ANP - DRICCI AND OES/IHA - RDALEY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KSCA TBIO NZ SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND ON ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR POLIO ERADICATION REF: A. SECSTATE 225847 ¶B. WELLINGTON 502 ¶1. Post delivered ref A demarche points on December 20 to Vicki Poole, Global Group Program Manager at the New Zealand Agency for International Development (NZAID); Dr. Mark Jacobs, Director of Public Health in the Ministry of Health; and Rebecca Lineham, Americas Division of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. ¶2. On behalf of all these agencies, Poole responded on December 21 that New Zealand is aware of the critical need to fund polio eradication through the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI),but that New Zealand's 2006 assistance funding is fully committed. However, as in 2005 (ref B),the PEI will be a top priority for funding alongside HIV/AIDS should additional funds become available. Burnett